Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-31

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TO give up his wives. He, however,
continued to preach that no Mormon
could do this, and it was not believed
flat he had done it, Taylor was in
dicted carly in 1885. lis last public
appearance was on February LIST OF that
yer. Since then he has been hidden
IN Salt Lake City undcr the constant
fear OF arrest. lis death is attributed
by lis friend. George &. Cannon, TO the
alleged cruelty Of the law in not per-
hitting linn to so out and enjoy his
usual exercise.
John Taylor, successor to Brigham
Young as the president Of the Church
Of Jesus Christ OF Latter-day Saints,
more eencraliy known rs Mormons.
vas born in Winthrop, county OF
Wcsmcrolopd, England, November /,
1873. IN bis boyhood he received the
advantages of Il good, sound English
,Gucatior, and in carly manhood joined
The Methodist Church and became n
local preacher Ill that sect. In his
tweMy-fourih year he emigrlted to
Canada to join his fathers family, who
bad preceded him two years. Shortly
aitcr his arrival he married Miss Leo
nora Cannon, a Manx lady, who was re-
siding in Canada as the companion OF
the, wife Of the Governor of the Pro-
vince. This lady now d6ceased) was
the aunt of George q. Cannon, mt one
time delegate to Congress from Utah.
Mr.. Taylor soon became locally
COZ spicuOus as a religious teacher and
Ioio1mer in Toronto, and was associated
with body of IGcn and women who
were dissatisfied with the existing
-olms OF religion. While he was in
his state Of mind Farley p. Pratt, one
ii tie Twelve Apostles of the Latter
lay Church, visited Toronto. This
si>it resulted i'll Mr. AMI Mrs. Taylor
md number OF their friends and asso-
Gates being baptized. Nr. Taylor was
sLoItly afterwards ordained au e!icr
I'd before long was appointed to pre-
lie over the local churches.
II short time Elder Taylor visited
II main body Of the Church to which
hc had allied himself, in Kirkland. Ohio.
EcIo he became conspicuous for his
zeal and couragoin defending the tenets
Of MoImonism, and his strong personal
friendship for the prophet. Joseph
Smith. Re went with the Church to
Missouri, where be WAS ordained one Of
tie Twelve Apostles. Taylor suffered
with lis co-ielieiOnists the miscries TINT
attended IT, expulsion OF the Norm0us
;ICm that State in 1888. He took IA
prominent part i'll the reorganization
If the fugitive saiits III Illinois, and III
The binding of the city of NauvOo.
Ihcrc lac i,camc editor Of the Official
Journal Of tAc Church, the Times ami
Hlcsoas, and also Of political weekly
YaI q, entitled tie N0proD Nciyhb0r.
lie was associAt,d i'll the city govern
mont as Il counsellor, aud was judge
aGNocatc-ocncral and chaplain, with
anl, Of colonel IN tue NauyOO legion.
When tie two brothers, Joseph and
Hlam Smith. were confined prisoners
ii tie Cartilage jill Taylor stayed with
them as Il friend and visitor; and when
iLty were as.Issiuatcd he was present,
and vos himself shot in four places by
TIC Mob. For some months his lltt
Iemllcd in The balance, and ho carried
cne ball in his body to the end OF his
Gays. When the Monnons were exiled
nom Nauyoo TAYLOR accom- panied them
,c the Missouri river. From that point
lie was sent. with two others, By the
Council Of the Twelve Apostles, on
mission TO England to regGiate the bnsi-
less affair. OF the Mormon body in that
country. leaving his family capped on
lie river and exposed toall the depriya-
tiCns and annoy ances incidental to their
situation, be departed in answer to this
call, from which he returned tle year
following NSl0, when he found his
family cncamped at winter quarters
about six miles above where Omaha now
stands. Re then, as one OF the Apos-
lies, took Il prominent part in the or
ea,t2aiicn and guidance OF the COM
llnics q oxpatliated "Faints," who
'Glowod the pioneers under Drighln
iturg in their toilsome and perilous
quincy aGoss the plains and the Rocky
mountains Taylor was also among the
most energetic III the formation Of the
MUmcn battalion of five hundred
non who enlisted to serve as volun-
tCtls in Tie war with Mexico. lie ar
lived il Salt Lake City in 18A7, and
Was from the first conspicuous il the
COUNCILS Of his Church in Utah.
TAYLOR engaged subsequently on
several preaching missions in foreign
lands, chief among which was one Of
the earliest to Great Britain, those TO
France and Germauy-irOm 1879 to
1852, when lac arranged for and super
intended the Translation of the Book OF
Mormon Into the French and German
languages, aud in later years in the
eastern States, when he Published the
Mormon newspaper in New York. At
home for number OF years he was
Speaker oil the Territorial House OF
Representatives, was twice elected
territorial superintendent Of schools,
and also acted as Probate Ju iSe III Utah
county.
When lrgham Dung dleG, II 1911,
John Taylor stood, by seniority, at the
head OF the Council OF the Apostles,
nd consequently was d. factO head OF
tie Church. For nearly three years the
= lostIes regulated the affairs OF the
when the first presidency was
reappointtd and Elder Taylor was
elected president, with George Q. Can
non and Joseph E. Smith rs his coun-
sellers. lie was also elected trustee in
trust for the Mormon Church, and held
a prominent position as president or di-
rector il most OF the business concerns
IL which it had an interest.
President Taylor was iine-looking
man. He was of dark complexion,
atout six feet high, Of commanding
Iresencc, erect carriage. and great nat
ulal dignity. BY many he was con-
iderfd the finest pulpit orator in Salt
Lake City. He practiced great inie-
Gendence of thought and action, uncom-
promising determination, and great will
bower. His zeal and fiery eloquence
made him marked man in the earlier |
Years of his association with the Nor
non people.
President Taylor wrote number OF
works on the peculiar doctrines of the
'eiiglous body to which he belonged.